Effective August 16 2010 at 1200 Coordinated Universal Time /UTC/... NWS will begin providing all notices such as this one in upper and lower case alphabetic characters rather than all uppercase as is presently done. Additional punctuation and other characters that are part of the International Reference Alphabet No. 5 will also be included in notices as needed. This change would apply to Public Information Statements... Service Change and Technical Implementation Notices with the World Meteorological Organization /WMO/ Heading of NOUS41 KWBC and AWIPS Identifier of PNSWSH. This change expands on a successful experiment in which just the email attachment of notices was sent in mixed case.

Many NWS partners and users have identified the need for all NWS text products to be provided in mixed case and to include an expanded punctuation and character set. Introduction of mixed case and expanded punctuation character set in national administrative and change notice messages allows for a risk reduction effort using non-operational products. Users of NWS text products will have the opportunity to identify and correct any anomalous behavior of their systems and their customer/s systems that may be caused by mixed case and expanded character set. This change will make text products easier to read and allow users to click on Internet links directly rather than converting them to lowercase or mixed case.

The NWS is accepting comments on the proposal to change all NWS text products to include use of mixed case and expanded character set. Please see the referenced Public Information Statement soliciting public comments on change to all NWS text products to use mixed case and expanded character set.

If you have questions... please contact:

Herb White

NWS Dissemination Services Manager

1325 East West Highway

Silver Spring MD 20910

Herbert.White@noaa.gov

301-713-0090 Ext. 146

National Public Information Statements... Service Change Notices and Technical